Where to Drink and Play This Pensacon Weekend: Themed Bars and Experiences in Pensacola
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Become a sponsorPensacon weekend is not just about celebrity guests, cosplay, and panels at the Bay Center. Downtown Pensacola transforms into a full pop culture playground after hours. Local bars and restaurants lean into themed experiences that turn the entire weekend into an immersive fandom celebration.
If you are heading to Pensacon February 20 through 22, here are the bars and restaurants creating themed experiences throughout the weekend.
The Z Brings the Upside Down to Life
The Z Becomes the Upside Down
Vecna is back.
The Z is going full Upside Down for Pensacon weekend from February 20 through 22. Expect a complete Stranger Things inspired takeover with themed cocktails, hidden scavenger hunt clues throughout the bar, and even a claw machine packed with exclusive themed prizes.
Costumes unlock drink specials including
$2 off Tito’s
$2 off Maker’s
$2 PBR tallboys
If you are searching for a late night horror themed Pensacon bar experience in Pensacola, this will be one of the most immersive stops downtown.
O’Riley’s Irish Pub Goes Full Bikini Bottom
Pensacon fun officially bubbles up at O’Riley’s beginning Wednesday, February 18 with Pensacon themed trivia, followed by Bikini Bottom College Night, a Pensacon themed Gallery Night event, and closing with a Jellyfish Jam dance party.
The SpongeBob theme transforms the pub into a colorful, high energy celebration of nautical nonsense. It is one of the more playful themed stops during Pensacon week and ideal for groups looking for trivia, dance parties, and costume friendly nights leading into the main convention weekend.
Odd Colony Brewing Journeys to Middle Earth
The Lord of the Rings arrives at Odd Colony for Pensacon 2026.
The brewery transforms into The Prancing Pony with themed pub ales, fantasy décor, and costumed staff. Guests may encounter Gollum guarding his precious ring or hear Bilbo’s Birthday Speech during the weekend festivities.
Event highlights include
Friday, February 20 special cask tapping
Saturday, February 21 Bilbo’s Birthday Party with complimentary cake cutting at 7 PM
Sunday, February 22 Second Breakfast Brunch from 11 AM to 3 PM with Globetrotter Street Food
For fans of fantasy and craft beer, Odd Colony becomes one of the strongest immersive themed locations during Pensacon weekend in downtown Pensacola.
The Fish House Transforms into Hogwarts
Beginning Monday, February 16, The Fish House once again transforms into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The complex will feature themed décor, original movie prop displays, and interactive elements including Quidditch inspired touches, take home wands, Diagon Alley experiences, and a Sorting Hat to determine your Hogwarts house.
Guests can take photos with a life size Dementor or create their own “Have You Seen This Wizard?” poster.
Drink specials available Friday through Sunday beginning at 11 AM include
The Goblet of Fire
Veritaserum
Butterbeer
For visitors searching for Harry Potter themed events during Pensacon in Pensacola, The Fish House has consistently been one of the most recognizable and family friendly themed stops.
Perfect Plain Brewing Launches a Galactic Bar Crawl
Perfect Plain Brewing along with Garden and Grain, The Well, and El Camino Tacos will operate under a Star Wars theme from February 18 through 21.
This multi venue setup creates one of the largest coordinated Pensacon bar crawls in downtown Pensacola.
Event schedule includes
February 18
Galactic Bingo 7 PM to 9 PM
February 19
Galactic Trivia 7 PM to 9 PM
Drink and Draw
February 20
Cantina Karaoke 8 PM to Midnight
Galactic Bar Crawl all day
February 21
Galactic Rave Cave 8 PM to Midnight
Galactic Bar Crawl all day
Costumes are strongly encouraged and the venues welcome scoundrels, smugglers, droids, and rebels alike.
If you are searching for Star Wars Pensacon events in Pensacola, this will likely be the largest themed nightlife hub of the weekend.
Papa’s Pizza Goes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Papa’s Pizza is adopting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme for Pensacon weekend. Expect themed décor, nostalgic energy, and plenty of pizza for fueling cosplay adventures.
For families attending Pensacon or groups looking for something casual between events, Papa’s provides an easy and themed dining stop within the downtown footprint.
Plan Your Pensacon Weekend
Pensacon 2026 takes place February 20 through 22 at the Pensacola Bay Center, but the nightlife and themed experiences extend across downtown for nearly the entire week.
Crowds increase significantly Friday and Saturday nights, and many of these bars are within walking distance of one another, making it easy to park once and explore on foot.
For the full Pensacon 2026 guide including guest list, schedules, tickets, and convention details, read our complete breakdown here:
Panels by day. Themed chaos by night. That is Pensacon weekend in Pensacola.
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